ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — music
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pop — soda
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — for sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com